I have a Whrily 01S. It is ok for what it does - but it is not going to give you a superior cup. Pain “dialing in” because of the dial it has at the bottom of it- but it’s sleek design small footprint and really decent ability to grind makes it a decent grinder in my book. Also a decent battery life.
My advice would be never buy a cheap grinder if you use it for espresso.
Sure the logic may be "But its only 3000rs", but it will grind terrible coffee, break after 6-12 months and be shit for your workflow. Rather wait a bit or invest more into something that will be great and give you proper grind consistency, and last for 10-15 years with proper maintenence.
My suggestions for espresso would be, in the lower cost bracket:
\- Timemore C3 ESP PRO ($100)
\- Timemore Whirly electric grinder ($150)
\- Femobook A2 electric grinder ($99)
I would get the Femobook A2 over the Nutti OX. Or the Timemore Whirly 01S if you prefer a more rounded profile. The A2 is the best choice for portable battery-powered grinders, however. It has the best battery life and capacity, and the li-ion batteries are user-replaceable. It also has the best price, $99 on Femobook’s website, and $109 on Amazon. Can expect it to go on sale for Black Friday on Amazon for 20% off.
FWIW, I own both the A2 and the Whirly 01S.
I recommend waiting for the Opus 2, if you can. I have a Whirly 01S and the Opus 2. I have had the Opus 2 for 7 days now, so not that long. So far, I have found it makes excellent filter coffee—I have made both larger batch brews and smaller brews with my Clever dripper. The hopper will hold up to 100g, and it grinds very fast—a 72g dose takes less than 20 sec to grind.
The Whirly 01S is a very good portable battery powered grinder. But it’s not really any faster than a hand grinder. It makes good coffee as well—sweet and balanced in taste profile, if not the last word in clarity.
Basically manual hand grinders win almost at all times when it comes to filter coffee. The output is just better.
There are only three considerations to get electric grinder:
1. Price (more expensive but if you don't mind it then go for it).
2. Labor (whether if you are willing to grind by hand). This question becomes easier to answer if you brew large doses in every batch and then also do it daily. Obviously electric would be better. This relates to capacity as well. Even if you want to grind manually, you also have to be willing to feed the chamber a couple times since most hand grinder with the catcher cup only accommodate 30 grams of ground coffee, goes as small as 20 g for the compact ones. Yes, many great electric grinders are single-dose too, but the hopper should still fit more beans.
3. Portability. This matters the least since we now have some options of small, built-in battery-powered electric grinders ready in the market that are actually quite amazing. Perfect for travel and camping. Whirly 01S and Millab E01, to name a few.
I sell coffee in my office and decided to buy a new setup for brewing. I already had a Fellow Opus and Stagg, so I wanted to try something different, a Timemore setup, to brew for my office friends.
I wanted something portable and efficient that I could bring on trips or camping, but also use for multiple brews in a row at the office, so I went with the Timemore Whirly.
Pros: Battery life: I can use it for 2–3 filter brews a day, and the battery lasts about 2–3 weeks. If you’re camping for a few days, you’ll most likely be fine without recharging.
Capacity: You can easily load up to 50 g, and the receiver holds around 40 g.
Speed: It’s quite fast. I can even grind 18 g directly into the filter, and it’s surprisingly satisfying to watch.
Grind quality: For a portable electric grinder, it performs really well. It’s not as consistent as my Opus but definitely good enough for pour overs.
Portability: If you’re traveling with just one backpack and some essentials such as an AeroPress, it might take up a bit of space, but if you have more than one bag, it’s perfect.
Build: Feels solid and premium. Nothing rattly or cheap.
Cons: Inaccurate grind chart: The recommended settings are way off. You’ll need to click around 35–45 times to get a proper filter grind and expect to waste a few grams dialing it in.
Overall, I think it’s a great portable grinder if you value speed, battery life, and convenience. If you are looking for portability and you are really obsessed with grind size, you might want to stay in the manual Comandante or 1Zpresso zone. It’s not meant to replace a high-end hand grinder, but for travel or office use, it’s been super fun and reliable.
https://preview.redd.it/simrm49so3tf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a58d0a51f889e7a857fbc1f84511bc498f143b30
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DF54 Series
79% positive of 384 users
Great value for espresso, but clogs and poor for pour-over.
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